I recently re-joined Phi Delta Kappa International after an absence of several years. For those of you who may not know, PDK is a professional association for educators. Copied from the website, http://www.pdkintl.org/:
"Phi Delta Kappa International is the premier professional association for educators. For more than 100 years, it has focused its work on the tenets of service, research, and leadership.
PDK is one of the largest education associations and has more than 35,000 members, including teachers, principals, superintendents, and higher education faculty and administrators. PDK publishes the highly-regarded Phi Delta Kappan, the No. 1 education policy magazine, and sponsors the annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.
PDK is the sole sponsor of the Future Educators Association® (FEA), the only national and international professional organization that provides students who are interested in education-related careers with activities and materials that allow them to explore the teaching profession in a variety of ways.
More than 250 local PDK chapters, most located on college campuses, give PDK members a unique opportunity to network with other like-minded educators.
PDK’s mission is to support education, particularly public education, as the cornerstone of democracy. Its vision is to be the experts in cultivating great educators for tomorrow while continuing to ensure high-quality education for today."
Now, obviously, I'm promoting PDK by including them in my blog. But even more importantly, I hope that I am promoting the idea that we, as educational professionals, should be participating in one or more organizations that celebrate, uphold, and encourage the teaching profession. Keeping up with latest research and the ideas of the pioneers in education allows us to self-examine our traits and styles to weed out less than the best practices.
"Phi Delta Kappa International is the premier professional association for educators. For more than 100 years, it has focused its work on the tenets of service, research, and leadership.
PDK is one of the largest education associations and has more than 35,000 members, including teachers, principals, superintendents, and higher education faculty and administrators. PDK publishes the highly-regarded Phi Delta Kappan, the No. 1 education policy magazine, and sponsors the annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.
PDK is the sole sponsor of the Future Educators Association® (FEA), the only national and international professional organization that provides students who are interested in education-related careers with activities and materials that allow them to explore the teaching profession in a variety of ways.
More than 250 local PDK chapters, most located on college campuses, give PDK members a unique opportunity to network with other like-minded educators.
PDK’s mission is to support education, particularly public education, as the cornerstone of democracy. Its vision is to be the experts in cultivating great educators for tomorrow while continuing to ensure high-quality education for today."
Now, obviously, I'm promoting PDK by including them in my blog. But even more importantly, I hope that I am promoting the idea that we, as educational professionals, should be participating in one or more organizations that celebrate, uphold, and encourage the teaching profession. Keeping up with latest research and the ideas of the pioneers in education allows us to self-examine our traits and styles to weed out less than the best practices.
If you are interested in joining PDK, please let me know. I am serving the local chapter as Membership Chair this next year. I would be pleased to talk to you more about what being a member can mean.
